About FEFE

Family Economics & Financial Education (FEFE) is a program of the Take Charge America Institute for Consumer Financial Education and Research at The University of Arizona. The FEFE project is based on the idea that a university-based financial education outreach program, built on cutting-edge research, can strengthen and extend the ability of schools and community organizations to raise the personal financial capabilities of young adults.

FEFE provides more than 17,000 educators nationwide with free, ready-to-teach classroom materials, teacher training, newsletters, grants and other activities that expand their knowledge of family economics and enable them to incorporate money management related lessons into their grade 7 through 12 classrooms.

Housed at The University of Arizona’s John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, FEFE is valued partnership between the university and Take Charge America, Inc. TCA is a Phoenix-based nonprofit credit counseling and debt management organization dedicated to improving the quality of financial education across the nation and has supported FEFE since the project’s inception in 2001.

To date, FEFE educational programs and downloadable classroom lessons have been incorporated into school districts in all 50 states, and more than 500,000 students annually -- and their families -- are the beneficiaries.  And, its work with a broad network of nonprofit organizations and symbiotic grassroots efforts has enabled FEFE to extend its impact to communities that want to provide residents with knowledge that will help them keep their families on secure financial footings through both normal and turbulent economic times.

The foundation of FEFE's success is based on five pillars:

• Curriculum Development: More than 100 lesson plans and related classroom teaching materials have been developed and are updated as needed by educators who are part of a nationwide FEFE Master Teachers Program.

• Curriculum Design: All lessons are based on multiple intelligences and active learning theories, are aligned to most state and national standards, and can either be used independently or as part of complete courses.

• Training: Teachers learn to use the classroom materials, implementation methods, activities, handouts and assessment tools through local, regional and national workshops, seminars and conferences, giving them the flexibility and confidence to incorporate moneymanagement studies into their classrooms.

• Support Staff: FEFE has a full-time staff of professionals who are available to answer questions, and provide support to participating school districts, teachers and community outreach partners.

• Partnerships: Ongoing collaboration among classroom teachers, university researchers and corporate and foundation partners is the hallmark of FEFE’s success to date. These partnerships provide continual feedback for revising the curriculum and enable the program to attract the grants and other financial support required to sustain growth.

• The program could not be successful without the ongoing financial and in-kind support of businesses, such as Take Charge America Inc., and organizations such as Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, and the National Council on Economic Education, whose members recognize the value FEFE programs provide to their target audiences as well as the communities and regions in which they operate.